When it comes to applying for disability benefits, having accurate and detailed documents is an asset. However, sometimes it’s difficult to know just what documents you should be keeping an eye on. What records should you keep yourself? Can you trust your physician to keep all of the details in order? How vigilant do you have to be regarding your own records? “It’s important that what is being provided to the insurance company is accurate information,” says Kirk Sloane, Associate Lawyer at Share Lawyers. If you’re in the process of making a claim for disability...

Numerous studies have shown that the foods we eat have a direct impact on hypertension and overall heart health. A diet built around fresh fruits and vegetables is better than a diet loaded with sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, all three of which should be avoided. However, knowing what to eat is only half the battle. You also need to build good habits and follow through to make sure you actually eat those healthy foods and avoid the temptation of processed foods like chips and other snacks. For many people, that can prove to be far more of a challenge. Grocery store...

The diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis is a life-changing one. With a few short words, nothing is ever the same. Your dietary restrictions go through the roof, flare-ups can knock you out of commission for weeks at a time, and the symptoms can be painful and profoundly debilitating. There are some treatments, but no known cures. These can include medications and even surgery, of which one of the results is an ostomy. But what is an ostomy and how does it work? Ostomy surgery is a life-saving procedure whereby bodily waste is allowed to pass through “a...

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be difficult to talk about. Many people with IBS are unlikely to advertise their status, and the silence can mask the prevalence of the condition. That’s why it’s helpful to have statistics. In truth, Canada has one of the highest rates of IBS in the world, affecting 18% of the national population (the global rate is closer to 11%). That puts a significant strain on the Canadian healthcare system. It can take up to four years to make a positive IBS diagnosis, and those tests are expensive. The annual medical bill for an IBS patient is,...

https://www.sharelawyers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Alison-2.mp4 Knowing when to go back to work after an injury or disability can be tricky. Often people will be cautious about returning too quickly but also eager to get back to life as normal (or at least as normal as possible). In some instances, the insurance company may try to “force” a client back to work before they feel they’re ready, claiming that they seem well enough. So what can you do in these situations? According to Alison Gilmour, one of our associate lawyers, the insurance company cannot legally...

“Honestly,” says Ryan Nesbitt, “Crohn’s is, like, the most inconsistent thing.” This sentiment comes at about the six-minute mark in Nesbitt’s short documentary, Gutsy. The short focuses on Nesbitt and Jessica Grossman’s experiences with Crohn’s disease, from their diagnoses in childhood to the present day. For those who live with Crohn’s disease, this sentiment will be very familiar. For the rest of the unaffected population, however, the details Nesbitt and Grossman share may come as a shock. It’s estimated that approximately 270,000 Canadians are living with...